EL DORADO (CBS13) – He spent his career helping catch criminals, but now the tables are turned on a retired California Highway Patrol officer.

Now, Michael Rupley is accused of stashing stolen weapons in his house.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office says this investigation started after working numerous burglaries where guns were stolen.

Detectives searched the retired CHP officer’s home and arrested him.

Rupley has locked up hundreds of bad guys, but now the retired CHP faces his own problems with the law, accused of having stolen firearms.

“That’s beyond words, especially if a person is of law enforcement that’s involved in something like that. It’s just crazy, you know,” said resident Robert Nattrass.

CBS13 visited Rupley at his home, where detectives served a search warrant earlier Wednesday, but he did not want to talk on camera, saying his attorney advised him not to.

He was just bailed out from county jail after investigators determined he was in possession of those stolen weapons.

“You think it’s going to be honest, and he is arrested for something he shouldn’t have. That’s not honest,” said resident Ronda Smith.

CHP says Rupley worked as a patrol officer and retired in 2000. Now, at 65 years old, he could spend his golden years behind bars.

“I would think that was bad on his part; and if he had the weapons, then he should be prosecuted,” said resident Linda Irwin.

We still don’t know how many weapons investigators say he had, or what he planned to do with them.